I am presently using small perforated breadboards that occasionally need the perforations enlarged for leads of larger devices such as diodes and resistors.Do I really need carbide drills and an expensive Dremel or Skil tool (which in themselves are clumsy to handle)?And is there a superior grade of hookup wire? I would prefer wire that it extremely soft annealed and easier to strip. I could also profit from expert advice on wire wrapping tools and accessories.I cannot find circuits online for my rig so I am manufacturing them from scratch.

Back in the 80s I built an I/O module for my Heathkit H8 PC using standard chip sockets (not wire wound type) and used a wire wrap tool plus solder. I was able to strip about 1/4 inch insulation and wrap about 2 turns and then solder. Worked OK for a hobby but it would never last in one of your salt water stories. :BShould mention I also installed resistors and caps in chip sockets.

MEXICOWANDERER wrote:I am presently using small perforated breadboards that occasionally need the perforations enlarged for leads of larger devices such as diodes and resistors.Do I really need carbide drills and an expensive Dremel or Skil tool (which in themselves are clumsy to handle)?What kind of perf boards are you using? I use cheap paper phenolic (usually orange, with tiny copper donuts only one side)... I get away with using a small flat bladed screw driver to ream the hole bigger at the cost of sometimes losing the copper pad.When I was fabricating my own printed circuit boards at home, using glass boards, I did use the fancy solid carbide drill bits in a dremel drill press. Before the dremel came along, it was a pure torture trying to drill the boards by hand with a conventional drill and conventional bits.You can buy second hand carbide bits in quantity dirt cheap from a popular online auction site. They're not sharp enough for the high speed CNC milling machines that make industrial boards by the millions, but they're fine for drilling a few holes here or there.

Used to drill P.C. boards years ago with a Dremel mounted in a small bench top drill press (that way the holes were straight), and there was less chance of the drill wandering...I don't think you'll need a carbide bit, but you will need a premium quality bit not a wallyworld special. A good bit will be sharpened properly and do a better job...I've seen cheap bits (especially small ones) that were "sharpened" backwards and tore or wore the material instead of cutting.

MEXICOWANDERER wrote:I am presently using small perforated breadboards that occasionally need the perforations enlarged for leads of larger devices such as diodes and resistors.Do I really need carbide drills and an expensive Dremel or Skil tool (which in themselves are clumsy to handle)?And is there a superior grade of hookup wire? I would prefer wire that it extremely soft annealed and easier to strip. I could also profit from expert advice on wire wrapping tools and accessories.I cannot find circuits online for my rig so I am manufacturing them from scratch.Get a Dremel DRILL PRESS ADAPTER/STAND.SEE HEREThat is what my Tech School used when I was there many moons ago, as one of our lab projects we had to design and layout our own circuit board. Once the board had gone through the stripping process we had to drill out the holes for the components. A Dremel mounted in a drill press adapter stand did the trick.No special drill bit needed unless you want it to last longer since circuit board material is phenolic board or fiberglass. You just need a set of small drill bits which will fit the collet of your rotary tool and will still make a hole big enough for the wire to pass.If you are considering making your own circuit board from scratch you can find free software for that purpose online or use MS Paint or Photoshop to draw lines and such.Once you have the design you can flip the design electronically then print it out on a laser printer.Once you have the printout you place the printed side of the paper on the copper side of the board. Then use a iron you would use to iron clothes placing it on the back of the paper. The heat of the iron will melt the laser toner and as you press the paper and board together the toner transfers to the copper.Remove the iron then allow board to cool off to room temp.Once at room temp place the board into warm water and allow to soak, the soaking is important, you want the paper to rub off away from the toner..The toner acts like a mask and will stop the etching acid from touching what is under it.I have used the toner method to create and transfer custom lettering to brass and even plexiglas. It does take some experimentation with paper, types of toner and even how much and how long to heat the item for best transfers.. I have even been able to transfer COLOR laser printing..Once paper has been removed and you have black mask of toner you simply want to inspect and correct any places the the toner did not stick to (they make masking pens for this).Once mask is OK you then proceed to etching the board.For an etch ant you can use Muratic acid instead of buying regular etching acid.Here is a top notch must read if you want to get all the details on the home transfer and etching process.Click HEREAs for wiring, I prefer to use stranded when possible, bends easier than solid.I stay away from the old school wire wrap.. Used to cringe every time I had to repair a 60s-70s Sylvania TV which often made extensive use of wire wrapping :M , just a joy to find that one blasted bad connection under several wraps on one post.. Often ended up soldering each post until the bad one was found.

I think he is using perforated bread boards not printed circuit boards. Enlarging the holes to fit his pin size. Hard to find a lot of that stuff anymore in this throw away world. I just used cheapo drill bits and bought lots of them. Dremel drill press works well. Sometimes a breadboard works out better than printed circuit board when you are changing the design as you build. They used to sell push pins that can be put in and removed as required. If you are drilling out the holes for crimp pins you may want to see if you can purchase the push pins from Mouser or other places on the internet.

Drilling P.C. Boards (tips solicited) | Good Sam Community

LScamper
Explorer
Nov 15, 2014
For small hand held hole enlarging the Dremel bit set that Gdetrailer points to is fine. The carbide bits used for mass PC board drilling are much sharper but are brittle and may break if not careful.

If you are coating the boards remember that will make it very hard to repair!

If using wire wrap don't try to make it neat. Short straight routing, called rats nest, is best to keep cross talk down.
westend
Explorer
Nov 15, 2014
Only issue with a Dremel and drilling/reaming copper is the speed. Slower is better. For perf board, a hand vice is going to do a good job. I wish I had a small hobby brace as Mr. Wizard describes.

I pick up wire as I find it at discount sellers. I could pay the same price for new PVC jacketed small gauge wire as I do for the fancy Teflon jacket at surplus.
MrWizard
Moderator
Nov 15, 2014
Pref board...enlarging holes..
When I did this I just used a hand Chuck to hold the tiny drill bit
A few turns with my fingers and it was done
More holes or duplicate project boards, I used a small hobby manual crank hand drill, common for builders before the dremel became so popular
MEXICOWANDERER
Explorer
Nov 15, 2014
Sigh, yes of course my eyes were instantly sucked to the Starrett tools. Goes to show you what Champagne tastes on a Beer budget does to a person. But, I am hooked in the gills. Starrett it's going to be, and now to find top quality micro drills to match. Why expensive drills? Three ninety cent broken drills are a poorer value than 1 single, quality two dollar drill. Clumsy hands, not necessarily the drill's fault. Watching 1-1/2 hands at work is a riot (if they're not your hands).
wa8yxm
Explorer III
Nov 15, 2014
Just a thought. Though as I said nothing better than a Dremel Drill Press.

If you are enlarging holes in a perf board a common pin vice may work.

http://www.sears.com/search=pin%20vise?levels=Tools&autoRedirect=true
Chris_Bryant
Explorer II
Nov 15, 2014
I got a bunch of small carbide bits from a dental tech who made dental appliances- they are still fine for my use, but for making crowns, etc. they are too dull. Might check around- they usually throw them out (not sure if they would in mexico though :))
1995brave
Nomad
Nov 15, 2014
When doing my PC boards i used these micro bits.

http://www.harborfreight.com/micro-carbide-bit-set-20-pc-62379.html
MEXICOWANDERER
Explorer
Nov 15, 2014
Salvo wrote:
For small signal stuff use 30 awg kynar wire. I just used some yesterday to build a 50A Hall effect current sensor using ACS758. I usually use 3 different color wires. Red for power, blue for gnd and green for signal.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/30-ft-Red-Kynar-wire-wrap-wire-30-awg-for-modding-/250539633826?pt=US_Other_Video_Game_Accessories&hash=item3a55536ca2

Radio Shack has a cool kynar wire stripper. I've had mine for 30 years.

Wire wrapping & stripper

MEXICOWANDERER wrote:

And is there a superior grade of hookup wire? I would prefer wire that it extremely soft annealed and easier to strip. I could also profit from expert advice on wire wrapping tools and accessories.

Thanks Salvo,

I am hoping to use the wire wrap tool to make a neater looking circuit, then solder for durability. I'll access the Radio Shack Site and order up some wire. On the wire side I am thinking of using that red snot electrical spray coating they use on motors and windings then on the component side, good old-fashioned silicone dielectric grease dabbed on exposed terminals and leads.
Jagtech
Explorer
Nov 15, 2014
I find a small pneumatic (air) drill, like a dentists drill, is best due to its extreme high speed. Any quality bit will work.
SCVJeff
Explorer
Nov 15, 2014
For occasional drilling almost anything will work. But if you are power drilling, I suggest a high speed drill like a Dremel, otherwise you stand an excellent chance of catching the board and making a mess. I also have a couple of pin vises that work great if you are enlarging an occasional hole. You might be able to find them and a set of drills at Hobbyking

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